The forces of globalization and international commerce are unstoppable. Whether you are a fan or a naysayer matters little; the genie of globalization is out of the bottle and won’t be put back in. What is amusing is that some great powers thing they can control who gets to benefit from this t
Perspective is always dictated by where you stand. Looking in from outside, the latest attraction to open in the Lebanese mountains seems somewhat bizarre - a Hezbollah theme park complete with mock Israeli tanks and faux guerrilla fighters. However, from within the region perhaps even such a ho
An update to the ongoing saga of the Mig-29 jets that Russia is gifting to Lebanon. If you remember, at first blush this looked like a major act of Russian largesse, the gifting of 10 MIG-29 fighters to Lebanon. This would be a strategic boon for Lebanon situated in a region where neighborhood s
There are many observers that think the recent really to commemorate the 5 year anniversary of murdered ex-Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafiq al-Hariri, marked the end of the line for the March 14 alliance. It seems the very bastions of the largely anti-Syria movement are eroding. Syria and Lebanon
While the US and Europe shivers, Lebanese ski resorts are facing unusually warm conditions and have no snow. The diversity of Lebanon often surprises observers, but Lebanon has usually well-occupied ski resorts sitting at 8,000 feet elevation. Lebanon also has a flourishing wine industry, an act
The global interconnectivity of nations is no surprise, but the specifics of the engagement can be intriguing. Nepal, the evocative remote mountain Kingdom, has long been a source of domestic workers for Lebanon. Nothing so unusual about that. There are large numbers of Asian laborers in the Mid
12.9.2009 | Asia, Lebanon, Middle East | Clarity Staff Reporter
The statistics for the education levels of young Palestinians refugees are shameful, and to some extend explain why such youngsters form a fertile recruiting ground for those who would radicalize their world view. This sampling from the Palestinian population resident in Lebanese refugee camps is a
11.27.2009 | Lebanon, Middle East, Palestine | Clarity Correspondent
The US has a dualism in its relations with Lebanon. While it continues to condemn Hezbollah, has a checkered military history there, it does still like to give Lebanon largesse gifts of arms from time to time. Of course, the US foreign policy of military sales and assistance to select partners is o
The world is changing its attitude toward Syria, and we suspect the invisible hand of the US is behind the softening of opinions towards Damascus. We reported recently about how Turkey has welcomed Syria back into the fold. Now another regional power, Saudi Arabia, has shaken the hand of the once le
10.13.2009 | Lebanon, Middle East, Syria | Clarity Staff Reporter
Even the most recalcitrant observer must notice that the world power rankings are changing. Some superpowers are on the wane, while others strive to replace them. The G8 becomes the G20, China becomes the economic power of note, Europe develops a second wind as it recovers ahead of the US, and Ameri
10.8.2009 | Asia, China, Lebanon, Middle East | Clarity Correspondent
When many foreigners think of Lebanon, they envisage a small war torn country under constant threat, and pulled this way and that as a pawn to other powers. many will remember the 2006 Lebanon-Israel War when Iran and Israel used proxies to demonstrate their ire at each other. Lebanon is all that,
We won't comment on his military prowess, but when it comes to foreign policy and diplomacy General Petraeus is a repeat offender of voicing his opinion where it is not appropriate. He has, famously, made predictions abut the imminent state failure of Pakistan, forcing Holbrooke from the State Dep
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